Nested heating system

Abstract

The present disclosure is related to nested heating systems. The heating system uses nested thermoelectric heating assemblies, and hot temperatures can be increased by adding intermediate nested heating assemblies. Intermediate and/or inner assemblies may be removed from the outer assembly to allow for easy transport.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nested thermal heating system, the system comprising:
 a first heating assembly comprising:
 a first housing; 
 a first heating apparatus inside the first housing comprising at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the first housing; 
 a first thermal conductive layer forming a first cavity inside the first housing; 
   a second heating assembly disposed within the first cavity, the second heating assembly comprising:
 a second housing; 
 a second heating apparatus comprising at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the second housing; and 
 a second thermal conductive layer forming a second cavity inside the second housing; and 
   a power circuit configured to communicate power to the second heating apparatus, wherein the power circuit is one of: an inductive power circuit, an inductive resonance circuit, and an optical power circuit.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the inductive power circuit comprises:
 a first wire wound magnetic core disposed inside the first housing;   a second wire wound magnetic core disposed outside the first housing, wherein the second wire-wound magnetic core is proximate to the first wire wound magnetic core;   a rectifier circuit in electrical communication with the first wire wound magnetic core; and   a power regulator in electrical communication with the rectifier circuit.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wherein the inductive resonance circuit comprises:
 a pair of resonant inductive circuits disposed on opposite sides of a wall of the first housing;   a first magnetic antenna coil in magnetic communication with one of the pair of resonant inductive circuits;   a signal oscillator in electrical communication with the magnetic antenna coil;   a second magnetic antenna coil in magnetic communication with the other of the pair of resonant inductive circuits;   a rectifier circuit in electrical communication with the second magnetic antenna coil; and   a power regulator in electrical communication with the rectifier circuit.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the optical power circuit comprises:
 an electromagnetic radiation transmitter disposed outside the first housing; wherein the first housing comprises a window transparent to selected wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation and thermally insulated;   an electromagnetic radiation receiver disposed inside the first housing and configured to convert the selected wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to electrical power; and   a power regulator in electrical communication with the electromagnetic radiation receiver.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer comprises:
 a thermally conductive material; and   a phase change material embedded in the thermally conductive material.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the phase change material in the first conductive layer is different from the phase change material in the second conductive layer. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first housing and the second housing are thermally insulated. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second heating assembly is configured for removal and insertion into the first heating assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third heating assembly disposed within the second cavity, the third heating assembly comprising:
 a third housing; 
 a third heating apparatus comprising at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the heating housing; and 
 a third thermal conductive layer forming a third cavity inside the third housing. 
   
     
     
         10 . A method of heating using a nested thermal heating system, the system, the system comprising:
 a first heating assembly comprising:
 a first housing; 
 a first heating apparatus inside the first housing comprising at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the first housing; 
 a first thermal conductive layer forming a first cavity inside the first housing; and. 
   a second heating assembly disposed within the first cavity, the second heating assembly comprising:
 a second housing; 
 a second heating apparatus comprising at least one thermoelectric module embedded in the second housing; and 
 a second thermal conductive layer forming a second cavity inside the second housing; and 
 a power circuit configured to communicate power to the second heating apparatus, wherein the power circuit is one of: an inductive power circuit, an inductive resonance circuit, and an optical power circuit; 
   
       the method comprising:
 energizing the first heating assembly and the second heating assembly. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 removing the second heating assembly from the first cavity.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 inserting the second heating assembly into the first cavity.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the inductive power circuit comprises:
 a first wire wound magnetic core disposed inside the first housing;   a second wire wound magnetic core disposed outside the first housing, wherein the second wire-wound magnetic core is proximate to the first wire wound magnetic core;   a rectifier circuit in electrical communication with the first wire wound magnetic core; and   a power regulator in electrical communication with the rectifier circuit;   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the wherein the inductive resonance circuit comprises:
 a pair of resonant inductive circuits disposed on opposite sides of a wall of the first housing;   a first magnetic antenna coil in magnetic communication with one of the pair of resonant inductive circuits;   a signal oscillator in electrical communication with the magnetic antenna coil;   a second magnetic antenna coil in magnetic communication with the other of the pair of resonant inductive circuits;   a rectifier circuit in electrical communication with the second magnetic antenna coil; and   a power regulator in electrical communication with the rectifier circuit.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the optical power circuit comprises:
 an electromagnetic radiation transmitter disposed outside the first housing; wherein the first housing comprises a window transparent to selected wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation and thermally insulated;   an electromagnetic radiation receiver disposed inside the first housing and configured to convert the selected wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to electrical power; and   a power regulator in electrical communication with the electromagnetic radiation receiver.